Mets Flash: Parnell Can’t Hold Lead, Pressure Is Mounting

Once again, the Mets bullpen could not hold a lead and they fell to the Rockies 7-6 tonight at Citi Field. This time the culprit was setup man Bobby Parnell who could be losing his grip on his role as a late inning reliever.

Terry Collins was frustrated tonight and said he didn’t care how hard a pitcher throws and that if they can’t handle the pressure of holding a lead late in the game, than maybe they shouldn’t be playing at this level. He didn’t mention any names, but clearly that was pointed at his setup man. Collins is right by the way. We’ve seen this team and some individual players fold too many times under pressure.

Parnell had a disastrous outing allowing three runs in the eighth inning including a two run homer to Troy Tulowitzki. He also made a costly error when he threw wildly at home plate allowing the first of his three runs to score.

Ryota Igarashi and Jason Isringhausen both saw action in the game with Iggy floundering and Izzy getting to big outs, much to the approval of the 15,000 fans who were still around.

Ten games in and the Mets are 4-6 with plenty of cracks beginning to surface.

Pressure – Collins talked a lot about it tonight.

It’s time we start giving the playing time to the ones who seem to thrive under pressure and move away from those who can’t hack it.

Three players that I believe don’t back down in a big spot and relish the moment? Ike Davis, Carlos Beltran and Daniel Murphy on offense.

That said, I can’t say I have confidence in anybody in our bullpen, but Isringhausen could be one to watch and has thrived in the past as a closer.

I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73, '00 and '15, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction and interact with other passionate Met fans like you. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.